Sometimes They Come Back
by suzie2b
Summary: Who won the Battle of Gubayl?


**Disclaimer: **_**The Rat Patrol**_** is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

**Sometimes They Come Back**

**By Suzie2b**

**It had been a long, grueling five days in the desert. After their latest recon mission, the Rat Patrol had taken out two German convoys, and took on another mission to decimate an Italian battalion. All were successful and no one was hurt. It was time to rest.**

**They were in the hills above the ruins of a village once called Gubayl. It had been destroyed during a battle between two companies – One American and one German. Derelict and destroyed hulks of halftracks, tanks, and other military hardware were strewn and half buried in the desert sand.**

**Troy signed off after he finished radio contact with headquarters. He put down the mic with a sigh and walked over to where Hitch was dishing up a hot meal.**

**Moffitt took the offered plate and asked, "Another assignment?"**

**Troy shook his head. "Nope. We're being recalled to base."**

**Hitch handed the sergeant a plate of food as he said, "It's about time. It'd be nice to have a couple days off, get a shower and sleep in a bed for a change."**

**Troy took the plate as he said, "Well, Boggs' message didn't say anything about days off … but we can hope." He watched the private dish up a plate for himself. "After you eat, go relieve Tully on watch."**

"**Will do, sarge."**

**Twenty minutes later Hitch headed up to with a plate in one hand and a machine gun slung over the other shoulder.**

**Tully didn't turn around when he said, "Smells good."**

**They exchanged binoculars for food and Tully sat down on a large rock to eat. Hitch took up position to watch the desert.**

**After a minute of companionable silence, Hitch asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"**

**Tully shrugged as he swallowed, then said, "I don't know. I believe in an afterlife … but actual ghosts? I've never seen one, so I don't know if I do or not. Why?"**

"**Just looking out over these ruins and thinking about the battle that took place here. If anyplace deserves to be haunted, it would be this place."**

"**Do you believe in ghosts?"**

**Hitch glanced at his friend. "I'm like you. I've never seen one either."**

**Tully swallowed a mouthful of water from his canteen. He said jokingly, "It'll be dark in couple more hours. Maybe we'll find out." Hitch cracked a grin and Tully asked, "Did Troy get ahold of headquarters?"**

"**Yeah andwe're being recalled to base."**

"**Any chance for a day or two off?"**

**Hitch said, "We can only hope."**

**#################**

**Later that night, after the full moon had risen to bathe the desert in indigo light, Moffitt was on watch. Things had been quiet … eerily quiet. No hyenas laughing and yapping. No wild dogs howling. No insects buzzing around. Moffitt wondered if there was about to be an earthquake.**

**A short time later, the sergeant heard a sound. A rumble, a squeak, the revving of engines. Moments later he heard gunfire – rifles and machine guns – that made him take cover. Moffitt searched the desert all around, but saw nothing. Then there was a blast that could only have come from a tank. It sounded like a full on battle was taking place, but still he saw nothing. "I must be more tired than I thought."**

**Moffitt moved down into camp and knelt next to the sleeping Troy. He put a hand on the other sergeant's shoulder.**

**Troy opened his eye groggily. "Is it time already…"**

**Moffitt put a finger to his lips. "Shh … listen."**

**Troy cocked his head slightly and the muted sounds filtered into his still foggy brain. "What the heck! When did that start?"**

**Hitch and Tully awoke as Moffitt said, "A few minutes ago. Come have a look."**

**Troy followed Moffitt up the hill. Suddenly realizing there was a battle going on, Hitch and Tully grabbed machine guns before going after the sergeants.**

**The four Allies looked out into the desert around them. Troy searched with binoculars. But there was nothing to see and everything to hear. It was definitely a battle, but it wasn't as loud as it ought to be unless it was further away. However, they could tell that this battle should be right in front of them.**

**Then Tully caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. He pointed and said, "Look there!"**

**Fuzzy white lights began to rise up and begin to move around – some came out of wrecked vehicles, others just rose from the desert floor. They started hearing voices fading in and out … perhaps yelling orders? Some sounded like screams of pain. It was hard to tell.**

**The lights moved about singularly and in groups. Occasionally there would be a flash and Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully could just make out what appeared to be halftracks with fuzzy lights as passengers. Another flash showed the shape of a tank.**

**Minutes later, a third, brighter flash appeared in the ruins of Gubayl. Then there were many fuzzy lights flowing from the village and screams could just be heard above the din of battle.**

**Moffitt observed quietly, "The villagers are fleeing as their homes are being destroyed."**

**Hitch asked, "Is this the Battle of Gubayl being reenacted?"**

"**I would say so."**

**Tully's eyes were big and round. "Wow."**

**Troy said, "Why is this happening? I know we're all exhausted, but we shouldn't be hallucinating the same thing."**

**Moffitt said sadly, "I've heard that they fought to the last man on both sides. Neither side won the battle. Gubayl was destroyed and a good many of its people died that day."**

**Hitch said, "So they come back to keep fighting the same fight over and over?"**

**Troy added, "One side trying to overtake the other."**

**Moffitt nodded. "Always with the same outcome."**

**Tully said, "I wonder how often this happens?"**

**Moffitt shrugged. "Hard to tell. Perhaps they come out on the anniversary of the Battle of Gubayl…" He looked at his watch in the glow of the moon and said, "Which, by the way, is today. Or maybe it's the full moon that brings them back … or it could happen every night."**

**Troy said, "I've never heard of this being reported before."**

**Hitch asked, "Are you going to report what we're seeing, sarge?"**

**Troy sighed as he stared at what was happening below them. "I don't think anyone would believe it if I did."**

**#################**

**The four Allies watched the battle between the two rival forces as the full moon slowly sank in the western sky. And as it slipped behind the distant mountains, the ghosts faded slowly back to where they'd come from.**

**The sudden silence was interrupted be a hyena's laugh that made them jump. The moon was gone … the sun would rise soon enough.**

**Troy said, "Okay, go get some rest. I'll stay on watch."**

**Tully said, "I don't think I can sleep now."**

**Hitch nodded. "Me either, sarge."**

**Troy looked at Moffitt. "What about you?"**

**The sergeant smiled and said, "I'm wide awake."**

"**All right. Go build up the fire and make some coffee. I'll stay up here for now."**

**Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully wandered down to their camp. Tully got the fire going, Hitch filled two pots with water, while Moffitt got the coffee and tea. They worked in silence.**

**When the coffee was done brewing, Moffitt poured out a mug. He then picked up his tea and headed up to wear Troy stood. Hitch sat with his coffee, Tully with tea, and watched the sergeants for a time.**

**Hitch finally asked, "What do you think they're talking about?"**

**Tully shrugged. "Could be anything, but I'd be willing to guess they're discussing what happened tonight." He hesitated, then asked, "Do you believe in ghosts now?"**

"**Well, I've seen one now so I suppose I have to believe."**

"**Yeah, that's what I was thinking."**

**Hitch thought for a minute before he questioned, "Why do you think ghosts come back?"**

**Tully smiled slightly. "When I was a kid … probably nine or ten years old … I was gettin' dressed up for Halloween to go trick-or-treating … I asked my mom that question."**

"**What did she tell you?"**

"**I remember her sayin', 'Sometimes they come back because there's some unfinished business.' She said the ghost will keep tryin' to finish up whatever didn't get done."**

**Hitch nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting concept. Do you think that's what the ghosts here are doing?"**

**Tully sighed. "Well, then there's the reason I read about once a long time ago." He looked at Hitch and said, "The ghost doesn't know he's dead. He keeps coming back to do what he always did when he was alive."**

"**So the ghosts of the Americans and Germans don't realize they're dead? That's just weird."**

"**Moffitt did say they fought 'til the last man. There were no survivors among the soldiers. They could be still fighting the Battle of Gubayl because there's never been anyone to tell 'em any different."**

**#################**

**Troy glanced down at the two privates, who were obviously deep in discussion. "What do you think they're talking about?"**

**Moffitt smiled as he sipped his tea. "I would hazard a guess that they're talking about what happened tonight."**

"**What did happen tonight?"**

"**Sometimes they come back, Troy. They're still fighting the Battle of Gubayl."**

**Troy said, "I never believed in ghosts or all that supernatural stuff before. But now I'm finding myself questioning what we saw."**

**Moffitt said, "Oh, it was real. I've seen a few ghosts in my time back in England. Haunted castles and all that. Face it, Troy, once you've seen one you can't deny their existence."**

"**Yeah, I guess you're right. How do you want to write the reports?"**

"**The same as always. One for the recon mission. One for each of the convoys we hit. And one for that Italian Battalion."**

**Troy asked with a small smile, "Nothing about what happened tonight?"**

**Moffitt said, "I think not." He smiled. "After all, there are things that our superiors just don't need to know."**


End file.
